Fancypants

0:00Maura Duggan:Welcome to the Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. This is the podcast to discover stories behind your new favorite CPG brands. Each episode brings you behind the scenes of the brand and founder story, learn what sets them apart in the marketplace, and their strategy going to market. We talk about plans for growth, practical advice for an emerging brand founder, and where to shop products that are making waves in food, beverage, wellness, beauty, and beyond. You'll also hear from industry experts, brand builders, investors, and operators you should absolutely have on your radar if you're building a CPG brand today.

0:44Maura Duggan:I'm your host, Kelly Bennett, a Brooklyn-based brand strategist with a front row seat of what makes an emerging CPG brand stand out. Whether you're building a brand of your own or love supporting what's next, you're in the right place. This episode was made possible by our sponsor, Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is a platform that connects everyday small creators with brands that drive user-generated content, build buzz at specific retailers, and captures competitive market share. It's a tool that I recommend to all of my clients that you should absolutely check out. Head to hummingbirds.com for all the details.

1:27Maura Duggan:Now, let's dive into the new episode. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to a new episode of Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. Today, I have Maura Duggan. She is the founder of Fancy Pants, which you've probably seen at pop-up grocer and really cool stores. And this brand has been on my radar. One, I'm obsessed with the brand name, really cute packaging, awesome story behind it. And Maura, I'm so happy to finally have you on the show. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited and it's great to talk. Yes. So before we dive into your personal background, I would love to first hear the story around Fancy Pants.

2:14Maura Duggan:To my understanding, the brand itself has been around for 20 years, but the CPG aspect of the brand is still 14 to 15 months old, which is such a cool combo of experience, but also emerging. So I would love if you could take us behind the scenes of Fancy Pants and how it's evolved over the years. Sure. Yes, we definitely have a unique story. I think the unifier is that we've been Fancy Pants for 20 years and we've always baked cookies. So that has stayed the same. But aside from that, there's really nothing else in common. I started Fancy Pants in my Boston apartment. I had just finished graduate school in a completely different field, neuroscience and education.

3:03Didn't like my job and started thinking, what could I do that's a little fun, might make a little money on the side, that type of thing. And I didn't expect to have it be, you know, something that I dedicated my entire career to. I started making decorated shortbread cookies. So they were really cute and fun and seasonal, you know, snowmobiles, hearts, things like that. And started in the Boston area in fresh bakery departments where they merchandised beautifully because they were made with bright vegetable colors and grew very slowly from, you know, after a year started, um, branched out and started my own small commercial kitchen, then added onto that space, you know, over the years, then eventually moved to a new facility, uh, where we still are today.

3:57But, um, we, we were very specialized and we were very seasonal and holiday oriented, which kind of plays into how we wound that business down about 15 months ago and started this new CPG center store, totally different cookie business.

4:20Maura Duggan:Wow. So the pre-existing business that essentially launched the concept, the brand, your shifting career that you were winding down as you are ramping up to launch CPG. That's exactly right. Right. We have our own facility and, you know, we wanted to keep everybody busy. And so, you know, and honor contracts that we had while also, you know, making all those buyer meetings and the review schedules and trying to balance all that. So exactly right. Trying to wind one down while simultaneously ramping up. So, you know, a bit of a juggle. that's like a lot of logistics and operation meetings yes yes yes couple headaches yeah I'm sure what made you I mean I have to just jump right in what made you want to make that switch yeah um so there were a lot of different things that kind of came into play all at once it was partly and we'd been doing it for 20 years and we've been really successful in the fresh bakery department and worked with some, you know, major retailers throughout the entire country.

5:33But it was where we were, we didn't really feel like it was scalable that much further, unless we decided to invest in like robots that might decorate the cookies. And that just didn't feel right. That's not, you know, it just didn't feel like who I was, But scaling up, using more people to do these really intricate designs was just getting really expensive. And just it was it was kind of losing the appeal a little bit. And I started thinking about like, you know, what did I really love? And what I did growing up was baking much simpler cookies with my grandmother and my mother, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, ginger snap, those type of, you know, everyday flavors.

6:20and just started to think, you know, there's the cookie cracker industry. It's, you know, in the billions of dollars. And we had some really cool ways, I think, that we could innovate and bring some value to the category. So just started thinking about it and then started with the recipe testing and then eventually decided to just jump in.

6:44Maura Duggan:Incredible. Were you talking to retail partners? you already had relationships with as well? Or were you kind of keeping it to the side? Because I'm sure someone listening is maybe in a similar transition, not necessarily in a cookie business, but maybe they have a restaurant, but they want to go into CPG or they have some other fresh product and they are thinking about CPG. How did you go about that? Because I'm sure it was almost like an awkward in-between that you don't want to talk about too soon, but then you don't want to hold it back, but you want their insight. I would just love to hear.

7:22Maura Duggan:Yeah, that's exactly right. How you went about that. Yeah, you know, it was almost different. So Fresh Breakery Department for Cookies is a completely different department, different set of buyers than Center Store. So even if, so Whole Foods is a great example, the buyers know each other probably because they work together, but they they're really different and everything that they do is different. So there wasn't as much you know, like direct relationship that would sort of just transfer from one to the other. It was more like, well, we're familiar with a particular retailer. So maybe that makes it just a tiny bit easier to track down the new person that we need.

8:06Maura Duggan:Got it. That type of thing. But we're 20 years ago, every single thing was brand new. Right. And that's what every you're figuring out every day, every single thing. We also, we had distribution partners all over the country. So even though we maybe, you know, and we worked with different ones over the years. So it was like, hey, now we're going to do something different. Who should we be talking to? How does it work with this type of product? So I feel like we were just maybe, so it's like we're new, but we definitely had some advantages over somebody that's just starting out for the first time.

8:45And like you said, it was kind of like, right, letting people know and giving timelines, but not it was it's sort of like this dance that we that we were trying to do to, you know, to fulfill everything. And it's been, you know, it's gone great, actually, I mean, aside from when it didn't.

9:04Maura Duggan:Love hearing that. Were you also testing the different recipes and just seeing if customers would be into these more traditional or nostalgic flavor profiles and a different type of cookie experience, if you will, to help you make an informed decision of, okay, I could go all in on this? Yes, definitely. We did so much recipe testing. We do everything in-house. So we have an advantage there. We have a team. We have people that have worked with us for 10 years. So it's sort of my husband and I, and then a few key employees who have, you know, sort of grown up with the business. And so always, we're, you know, always testing within that group and knowing that this is what we want.

9:55What we just kept saying is we want the absolute best chocolate chip cookie. And, and just, and that was, that was the bar, not like, oh, this is really good. You know, this is like, I must have more of this. And that's what we did. And as we felt like we got closer, then we would send it out, you know, either to a few select buyers or to, you know, other friends and family type thing. And just saying like, we want the honest feedback. Would you buy it? What would you pay for it? Is it, you know, that those type of things. So

10:28Maura Duggan:can I ask another question about asking for feedback? I hear, especially emerging founders who are really new asking for feedback. However, I think there is a way of going about so that you actually get good feedback or constructive feedback. Was there any advice or anything that you were doing to help people give you direct feedback because, you know, you're sending to friends and family or you're sending to people that you know, and they're like, oh no, it's good, but they don't know. Is there any advice you would share there? I mean, what we did was give, we asked people to rank the flavors.

11:11Maura Duggan:Okay. And so that was one way when we, you know, we had a lot to choose from. We came up with a lot of different ones and then it was like, well, now, which ones do we go to market with? And so we kept asking people over and over again. And so right away, you get people saying like, I love this. Would you buy it? Probably not that type of thing. So really asking people, where would they spend their money? That helped us a lot. So then they didn't have to say, oh, but I hate, I mean, we asked them and some people are great. They're like, I really hate that size raisin or whatever. Right, right.

11:47Maura Duggan:And that's great. It sounds like you gave them a clear roadmap for giving that feedback. I think that's important. Yes, it takes, right, it takes some of the awkwardness, I guess, out of it. And people just feel like, oh, I'm used to filling out a survey. And then we also look at a lot of data, category data, to really decide what's being sold, what has been sold but got discontinued. Why did it get discontinued? Was the pricing right or wrong? Or was the flavor not there? Things like that. So, I mean, it is a process. Absolutely. Is there any places where you found the data that was the most helpful that, say, an emerging founder could access as well for their particular category?

12:36Maura Duggan:Right. We work with a national brokerage. Okay. And we were able to sort of tap into their expertise. You can buy data, but that's, as you know, extremely expensive. Extremely expensive, yes. And there's also a lot online in my category. You know, I mean, cookies and crackers, it's, there's a ton of free information that's available. So I'm really lucky that way I can get really good research from people who have done other research and, and use that to inform decisions. incredible and we also look at you know like um fancy food show and various um trade shows right what are people doing and that was another advantage we've been in the cookie you know category even though it was a different department so those type of things even if we weren't closely monitoring it it's so always sort of back there it's like a personal interest like what's going on.

13:36Yes, exactly.

13:37Maura Duggan:And it sounds like you've been in it for so long that it's just second nature too, right? And it's a personal passion. And especially when you're out to make the best chocolate chip cookie, I can just see you just brainstorming and just being really in the trenches and going down all the different rabbit holes to make that happen. Right. And I I think that's what's also really exciting about this industry too, that you can go on those adventures and create something that you genuinely want to see come to market. Right, right. Yeah. I mean, I love being in the food industry. It's fascinating. It really is.

14:17Maura Duggan:Is there any other ways that you've gone about your strategy going into CPG that was really helpful or impactful? What we decided to do was to go for, so our cookies are five ounce bags. You get about 20 to 22 cookies per bag. And they were retailing, they retail for$4.99 to$5.99. So we wanted to make sure that we're selling them at stores where the customers, that's an okay price point for them. That's to be expected. So we didn't do a regional strategy. We did like a national strategy, but focusing on the retailers themselves that were great fits. So, for example, Central Market down in Texas.

15:04You know, we manufacture in Massachusetts, but, you know, they're a great retailer with a terrific reputation and have shoppers there that pay that price, pay premium price for a premium cookie. We did the same thing on the West Coast with Gelson's and Bristol Farms and the North, you know, the Fresh Market on the East Coast. So PCC markets in Pacific Northwest, town and country. So some smaller retailers mixed in with larger retailers. Then we launched with Whole Foods in one region a few months ago. So we really bounced around. Oh, thank you. Yeah, very exciting. But we were really looking for the right consumer to sort of make sure like that's the testing.

15:57If these people are passionate about the cookies and can, you know, repeat buy, then we know that we can invest in more mass market conventional channels and that other people will be interested, too. So it's, you know, the first year is it's a big test.

16:14Maura Duggan:That's a great point of being strategic about the areas and the types of retailers that you feel like your customer is already shopping at to get a really good sense of what's moving the needle. And I'm going to assume you use that data then to pitch to, say, a Whole Foods for a regional opportunity. Right. Exactly right. You know, we know what sells and we also we do a lot of business on fair marketplace. Oh, that's a great way where you're really, you know, you can have close relationships with the very buyer, you know, the buyer versus a much larger place. And you can talk to people and they'll give you feedback.

16:57And they're also willing to say, you know, maybe take a risk on a small pack size of a somewhat unique flavor and and get feedback that way. So we did like this spring, we launched two seasonal flavors and we did a ton of business with our fair customers. And they're the ones that have the independent shops all over the country. And, you know, we can look at those ordering patterns and say like, okay, we see where it resonated, where it didn't, the feedback that we got from their customers directly. So that's a great. That's a great resource. Do you have any tips about getting more maybe impressions or in front of more buyers on fair in particular?

17:43Maura Duggan:Because I know that is a platform that a lot of emerging brand founders start with. Do you have any tips there? Yeah. I mean, I hired somebody to help me. I think it's all about making first impressions with like the pretty graphics. And I'm not a graphic designer. So I am not either. I wish I love that skill set is so great. But coolest. But yes, I know that feeling. so um so I hired somebody to help me because I said you know my I I know people like our bag packaging because I hired somebody to help me do that and I love it and our little peacock and doing different things on each bag and that's all great but I need the fair store to really connect better than just like a bag of cookies with our brand name on it it needed more right And I think having some nice, you know, imagery really helps things like that.

18:51And then they have, again, I stay in touch with those people. I, you know, I follow up with their orders. I thank them for their orders. I send them free samples if they want, that type of thing. So it's really, you know, I used to do that when I started 20 years ago in Boston, but it was driving around and popping into, you know, different shops in the greater Boston area. And there are so many specialty stores in this area. It's kind of that it's that same model where you get to know people, but it's online. Which is great, too.

19:27Maura Duggan:And it sounds like you've found ways to bring in your experience of relationship building, getting to know people, but then also applying it on these newer platforms that you have access to now that you just simply were not around 20 years ago. Right, right. And how do you take those really solid ways of building a brand and business and then utilizing these tools that we have today? And I love when those two things can come together because I think that's such a powerful way of building a brand. It is. And I think, you know, a brand like Fancy Pants is that we're small. And so I love working, you know, whether you're working, if you're working with a small independent store or something, it's sort of like we're living the same life.

20:16Sometimes they feel like, right? Small business founders, you're talking, you have a lot in that. And even if you're working with a larger retailer, you're always working with a smaller team. and people really want, you know, they want to make the right decisions and we want to make the right decisions. And there is just so much to building relationships, having like the one-on-one time, whether, you know, and the Zoom is fine, but going to food shows can be great too, or just dropping a note. So I think it is now like this new digital way of creating the relationships often is, it can be really helpful when, you know, if it's used properly, I think, so that you maintain the connection.

21:00Maura Duggan:Absolutely. I know I have to let you go. I thoroughly have enjoyed this conversation. I love, love, love your story. Last question. You're so welcome. Thank you. The last question before I let you go, though, is where can people shop Fancy Pants? Oh, sure. So So we sell the cookies directly on our website, which is fancypantsbakery.com. And then probably the best way might actually be to go to the website and we have like a store locator. You can type in your zip code and figure out, you know, where we're carried. We're in about 30, probably 3 ,500 retailers across the country. So hopefully be able to find a bag right in your backyard.

21:43Maura Duggan:Incredible. Well, congratulations on making this switch and coming into CPG. And what a great story of a brand that was doing something really well and then also applying, like we said, this new innovation and a way to scale a brand. So big congrats. Thank you so much. Really great to chat with you. I appreciate it. Same. Thank you everyone for listening and I'll see you on the next episode. Bye. This episode of the Emerging Brands podcast was made possible by our sponsor, Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is a platform that connects everyday small creators with brands to drive user-generated content, build buzz at specific retailers, and capture competitive market share.

22:29Maura Duggan:It's a tool that I recommend to all of my clients and one you should absolutely check out. Head to hummingbirds.com for all the details. If you're new here, hi, I'm Kelly Bennett, a Brooklyn-based brand strategist working with first-time CPG food and beverage founders. I have a front row seat of what makes an emerging CPG brand stand out because you're not just building a product, you are building a brand. And you want to make sure that is one that consumers love and retailers remember. That's where I come in. I've recently advised brands like frankly good coffee. She's the sauce, a new non-alcoholic cocktail line that's coming to market soon and a hormone conscious deodorant because food adjacent brands count too.

23:19Maura Duggan:If you are bringing a new product to market, please reach out at withkellybennett.com. Thank you so much for listening and sharing. You can follow me on Instagram at withkellybennett and you can follow the show at Emerging Brands Podcast. Thank you again, and I'll see you on the next episode.